Float-in or check valve



Oct. 23, 1951 J. ANVTOLCH 2,572,299

'FLOAT-IN 0R CHECK VALVE Filed Sept. 14, 1948 n t 3 men or,

(lttomeg u Patented d: 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

FLOAT-IN 0R CHECK VALVE John Antolch, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor of onefourth to Samuel R.. Chorneau, Puente, Calif.

Application September 14, 1948, Serial'No. 49.225

4Claims; 1

This invention is a float-in or reverse-flow check valve and is especially useful in deep-well drill pipe.

In wen drilling operations the drill pipeis often floated into the hole-that is, a device isfi-xe'd in the drill pipe at a desired assembly make-up location in the pipe and this stops up flow in the pipe as it is'lowered in the hole being drilled. Several types of such closures have been used and often they have to be broken apart when at desired level or operation of the tools; as to permit lowering of certain inside implements or to permit up flowof circulating mud.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel iris action fluid control valve which can be readily and remcvably mounted; in a drill pipe element, a sub for instance, and which is simple, practical; inexpensive, reliable, is of compact organization, of handy size for manual installation, packing and transportation, and of 1.

few and substantial parts, is fool-proof and wholly free from tricky delicate parts, and involves no cumbersome engine for motivation.

A further object is to provide a drill pipe check valve having many advantages and numerous functional capacities. Namely, to provide a check valve which is automatically closeable by pressure of ascending fluid directly on its closure elements, hereinafter called blades; to provide a set of blades which will all move concurrently in both opening and closing actions.

Further, a purpose of the invention is to provide a set of shutter blades which will open into a ring or tube arrangement to provide a free boreway of not less diameterthan the minimum bore size of the pipe element or sub in which the given valve may be mounted so that an inside tool string or other apparatus may be readily worked in and through the check valve here disclosed.

This invention also provides a valve whose shutter blades are adapted to be opened while deep in a well hole by the mere rotation of the drill pipe to give a centrifugal impulse to the blades, and which blades will be automatically closed as rotation is stopped.

The invention provides a valve having blades which contract iris fashion from a free open position by action of a closing device or by fluid pressure upward on the valve blades, and which includes means for effectively locking the cooperative blades in open, tube-forming position in cases where an up-flow, mud circulation is intended in the drill pipe.

The invention resides in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosureand has,,with the above, additional objects andadvantages as hereinafter developed, and whose constructions; combinations and detail ofmeans, and the manner-cf operation will be made manifest in the following-description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood-that modifications, variations, adaptations and equivalents may be resorted to within the scope, spirit and: principles of the;,invention as it is claimed in. conclusion hereof.v

Figure l is: a. partial. axial sectionandside elevation.v of the preferred form: of the valve. Figure 2 is a, bottom plan thereof showingsome valve blades in open position (at the left)" and others in iris diaphragm or closed position. Figure 3 is an inside face elevation of one of; the diaphragm blades. Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing a form of: the valve having alockw open means for the blades.

Referring to Figs. Zand 3, the valve includes a suitableinumber of elongate bladesZ of concave: convex cross-section or plan and having a downwardly. converged. bo'dy2b whose point is vertically under a top end bearing lug 3 for a cross pivot 4. to hang in a suspending collar later described; The sides of 'thebody 2b form meeting or sealing faces ml and m2 and are radial as to the center of the collar so that when the ring or set of the blades is contracted as at the right in Fig. 2 all of the meeting faces come into effective abutting engagement blade to blade and constitute an iris diaphragm and shut the valve against upward fiow of fluid.

Each blade has a slightly outward outskirt portion 20 from top to bottom and as shown in Fig. 2 this outskirt laps onto the outer face 2) of the next and underlying, contiguous portion of its companion blade. In order to effect the concurrent closing or opening action of all of the blades of the set coupling pins 5 pass into slots 6 in the outskirts 20 and fasten in the inwardly concentric, adjacent body 2b which has a pin or screw hole 7 for that purpose. The pins 5 have heads 5h overlapping the respective outskirts and therefore each blade operates to tend to pull its interlocked companion outward or inward according to the direction of applied pressure on any blade. The top end of each blade is downwardly curved to permit full closing position under the mentioned collar.

This valve is a structural unit for ready installation in or removal from a given drill pipe element or other apparatus and here shown is a drill pipe sub Ill having its main bore provided with a screw thread I l into which may be screwed a. collar 12, Figs. 1 and 2, whose bore is not less than the bore of the reduced sub screw pin Hip so that the collar will pass any apparatus which will pass through the sub.

The lower end of the short collar is provided with a number of annularly spaced pockets 12 for the tilting reception of the blade lugs 3; the collar having tangential holes 1211. for the suspending, pivot pins 4 of the blades.

Fig. 1 shows the set of blades thrown to opentube forming position, as by centrifugal force when the pipe is rotated and which will allow for free upflow of circulating mud, when so desired. Means are provided having a constant tendency to contract the blades in an iris motion; this valve being intended to be normally in closed position of its blades as the drill pipe, in which the valve is installed, is being lowered into the well hole. The top end of the collar has a series of longitudinal holes 13 in which are slidable presser bolts [4 thrust down by expansion springs l5, under set screws 16 in said holes 13. In Fig. 1 a bolt l4 bears on a top land face 3f with a tendency to tilt the respective blade 2 inwardly to dotted line position for shutting the valve. If the installed collar is rotated with and by the drill pipe element centrifugal force will open the blade against the presser bolt action. Or any implement passed down through the drill pipe will likewise open the blades. When the iris blades are closed they will prevent back flow of circulation mud or other well liquid from flooding the derrick floor of head works at a hole being drilled. 4

If it is intended that there may be need of having the valve blades open while the pipe is in the well hole then there is installed in the drill pipe a valve of this type and in which the blade lug, as to each blade of a set, has a locking tip 3t. When the blades are in normal closing position, Fig. 4, the bolt 14 rests on the inner side of the said tip, and remains so until it is desired to open the blades by rotation of the drill pipe the centrifugal eilect of which will be to swing the blades outward until the tip 3t passes inward under the bolt which then locks its blade open.

What is claimed is:

1. A float-in, reverse flow check valve including a collar having its bottom edge provided with an annular series of horizontal bearings, an annular set of curved blades arranged to constitute in their open position a continuation of the bore of the collar and whose upper ends are pivoted in said bearings, means on the blades whereby they are connected in circular train for concurrent opening or closing movement as to the bore of the collar, and spring detents mounted in the collar and engaging and tending to automatically contract the blades to shut 01f reverse flow into the bore of the collar.

2. The valve as of claim 1; the blades having cam facets on which said detents operate and lock the blades in open position.

3. The valve of claim 1; said connecting means including pins each fixed on a respective blade of the set and having sliding interlock with a slotted contiguous portion of one of the adjacent blades.

4. The valve of claim 1; each blade including a downwardly converging wedge-shaped body from which its pin projects outwardly, and said body having a lateral outskirt to lap onto the next contiguous blade body at one side and is slotted to receive the interconnecting pin thereof.

JOHN ANTOLCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 703,832 Rigby July 1, 1902 1,461,847 Jackson July 17, 1923 2,094,707 Jones Oct. 5, 1937 2,256,119 Lillich Sept. 16, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,726 Great Britain of 1915 701,682 Germany of 1941 

